Wednesday, December 31, 2008

kids shows, crime, and kids

Ok, this is a topic my cousin and I were discussing a few weeks ago. Does anyone else see a direct correlation between television and crime? No not the typical, tv violence causes real violence. I'm talking about the lack of good kids programming forcing more kids outside. Now I know what your thinking, "nothing wrong with kids going outside and playing" but what if they are not going outside to play? These days kids (and when I say kids I mean 12 and younger) are leaving the house to go have sex, try drugs, get high etc more so than to play hopscoth or jump rope. My cousin and I blame the lack of quality programming for this.

Back when I was a kid, I wanted to spend time with friends but I'll be damned if I was missing T.G.I.F. for yo ass. What??? Step-By-Step and Family Matters had my friday nights on lock. I even got into Boy Meets World. Saturday Morning cartoons were also highly anticipated by my friends and I, and I always woke up early to watch some good cartoons until noon. Then there was the old nick shows that came on around 4 o'clock or so that would make me go straight home from school.

What do these kids have today to keep them in on Friday night? Saturday morning cartoons are absolute garbage and uncreative, and are there even after school shows now? Had my 12 year old ass not had anything on tv to watch I would have been outside a lot more doing who knows what. I've done some "interesting" and messed up things as a child but it would have been so much worse had I not ever cared to stay inside. Cities like Baltimore will corrupt the hell out of kids who are over exposed to the streets.

Lack of quality programming is what's forcing these kids into seeking other means of enjoyment. Kids are having kids at a younger age because they don't have enough shows to remind them that they are kids. The don't have a Dennis the Menace or Richie Rich to live vicariously through, now they just go out and get into trouble and focus on any means to get money themselves.

People say that violence on television is what leads to crime. I'm saying something different, bad television leads to crimes. Most of these kids are watching what is being reported on Britney Spears, Kim Kardashian, DMX...........I know just thinking about them right now makes me want to smack the shit out of somebody. What do you think it makes kids want to do. B.E.T. is geared towards kids but all those videos make me want to do is fuck, rap, and hustle. That's not what a kid should be thinking about, they should be wishing they could be heroes like the dudes in voltron, pretending to be spider man or one of his amazing friends, learning something without knowing they're learning with eureka's castle (yes I took it back on this one). You want kids to stay out the streets and off each other? Give them something to watch that's really for kids.

4 comments:

readmyblog:) said...

Interesting take.

When I go over to my aunt or cousins house to visit my little 6,9, and 12 yr old cousins, they're siting in the middle of the floor watching BET, trying to learn some of the dances in the videos. Parents should be censoring what their kids are watching. I have a niece and nephew who keeps Noggin, Nick, and PBS on LOCK! I use to watch BET until it became coon-like and when I would do that they would cry and want me to turn to Spongebob. Now I censor what they watch and they can only watch stations like Nick, Noggin, and PBS because i dont want them getting the wrong idea when seeing these over exposed rap and r&b videos.And if they go outside, I moniter them and make sure the other little kids arent corrupting them,lol.

Sadiqua: Head Mistress, S.O.S. Inc. said...

why did my 8 year old ask me a few weeks ago, "so what type of car am I getting at my sweet sixteen party??"

BITCH WHAT?

screw the violence, its so obvious most of the time, its the sense of entitlement these little bastards are running around here with. we dont think twice when they watch certain things but now that my daughter is old enough to understand, its all real talk with her.

can you buy me this? ummm, hell no. i dont have money for it because i just paid the rent.

how much is this? more than u have and more than im willing to pay.

can we go to (fast food restaurant)? not when i just spent 250 on groceries...you can eat when we get home.

these kids aint got NOTHING but think that what is their parents, belongs to them too. hell-to-the-naw. get a job, then maybe we can talk...

Acolyte said...

It also doesnt help that in the inner cities many community centers and boys and girls clubs have closed down.
So even when the kids get outside they don't have too much to do to keep them busy.

city said...

I'm hella late on my own blog but I agree with you aco. Back when I was in elementary school, there was an after school spot all the kids could go to and wait for their parents. They had arcade games, pool tables, ping pong, an outside track and basketball court with a seperate playground. this was actually something the school provided.

I went back a few years ago and they didn't have the center anymore. It's little things that make the biggest difference. Everybody in my school either went straight home or went to the center to have fun for awhile.